Manufacturing the future: endohedral fullerenes, small molecules, big challenges

富勒烯是笼状分子。由n个碳原子组成的富勒烯笼子写为CN；当n=60时，碳原子的排列方式类似于足球上的顶点。它们的直径约为1纳米，这意味着富勒烯比真正的足球小很多倍，就像这个足球比地球还小！另一种元素X的一个原子可以被囚禁在这个笼子里，以产生所谓的内面体(从希腊语中的字面意思)富勒烯，记为X@CN。与X原子相比，面内分子具有表面可操纵性和物理和电子性质，它们可以被操纵，排列成一维链、二维晶格甚至三维晶体。面内富勒烯为人们提供了有效操纵单个原子或一小群原子的能力，而这在其他情况下是无法实现的。像N@C60这样的分子具有超长的电子自旋寿命。在其内部含有金属原子的面体内富勒烯(金属富勒烯)可以具有显著的磁性和光学性质。内面体富勒烯是在大约20年前发现的。然而，影响它们在应用中使用的主要限制因素仍然存在。这是他们的稀有之处。它们目前只有毫克数量。这项拟议的研究旨在克服这一挑战。在研究过程中，将开发制造方法，将内面体富勒烯的产量提高到克级。这样的量不仅是史无前例的，而且还将使对内面体富勒烯的物理和化学性质的基础研究得以进行。一旦这些挑战被解决，分子就可以被控制，甚至被设计成具有特定功能，用于现实世界的应用。拟议的研究计划将产生用于电子工业、能量收集部门(光伏)和医药(自由基探针)的设计分子。从长远来看，混合材料将与其他碳同素异形体(碳纳米管和石墨烯)一起开发用于电子设备，其性能将超过当前的经典技术。面内富勒烯及其衍生物将推向市场。目标是在不太遥远的将来，它们将出现在日常使用的设备中。

Fullerenes are cage-like molecules. The fullerene cages consisting of n carbon atoms are written Cn; when n = 60 the carbon atoms are arranged in a way similar to the vertices on a football. They are about 1 nm across which translates to the fullerenes being as many times smaller than a real football, as this football is smaller than the planet Earth! An atom of another element X can be incarcerated in this cage to produce a so-called endohedral (from Greek words literally meaning within the facets) fullerene, written X@Cn. Endohedral molecules have surface manoeuvrability and physical and electronic properties which are greatly enhanced as compared to free-standing atoms of X. They can be manipulated, arranged in 1D chains, 2D lattices or even 3D crystals. Endohedral fullerenes provide one with the ability to effectively manipulate a single atom or a small cluster of atoms that would be otherwise unattainable. Molecules such as N@C60 have exceptionally long electron spin lifetimes. Endohedral fullerenes containing metal atoms in their interior (metallofullerenes) can have remarkable magnetic and optical properties. Endohedral fullerenes were discovered about 20 years ago. However the main limiting factor affecting their use in applications still remains. It is their rarity. They are currently available only in milligram quantities. It is this challenge that the proposed research aims to overcome. During the course of the research, manufacturing methods will be developed for increasing the production of endohedral fullerenes to the gram scale. Such quantities are not only unprecedented, but they will also allow fundamental studies of the physical and chemical properties of endohedral fullerenes to be undertaken. Once this challenges are met, then the molecules can be controlled or even designed to have specific functionality for use in real-world applications.The proposed programme of research will result in designer molecules for use in the electronics industry, the energy harvesting sector (photovoltaics) and medicine (free radical probes). In the longer term hybrid materials will be developed in conjunction with other carbon allotropes (carbon nanotubes and graphene) for electronic devices that will be outperforming current classical technology.Endohedral fullerenes and their derivatives will be brought to the market place. The aim is that in the not-too-distant future, they will be found in devices used daily.